What You're Really Wondering Today...

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It's currently 1:30 am on June 5. I'm still sitting at my computer reading everything I want about what happened 20 years ago.


I was only 10 years old in 1989, but I do slightly recall the event. I recall seeing the infamous photo of the student boldly facing the tanks. It was on the front page of the Star Tribune, left on the fireplace next to the favorite brown reading chair, stacked as any other day. I remember wondering why he was doing that and thinking it looked dangerous.

Everything else I've learned I've learned in passing. No one talks about it except on anniversaries. Even then I only got snippets. It was never taught in school and I never researched it on my own. I didn't realize it was important and I had no idea how to spell Tian@nmen. Ironically, I later learned in my college Chinese language class, it means "gate of heavenly peace."

In 1999, when I was in college and trying to read the newspaper, I don't recall any articles. But then, it was summer, and I, like many others, was too busy with my own life to pay any mind to it.


Flash forward to today:
Everything I've read from the West says that western newspapers are having pages torn out, internet restrictions are higher, no Chinese newspaper can write about it, etc. Yes and No.

Twitter and Hotmail are blocked.
Youtube has been for months.
Yet every single article I want to read in English I've been able to access without going around the firewall. Considering how many Chinese speak English, I find this interesting.

Check out the front page of this government newspaper:
http://www.globaltimes.cn/
Yes, an actual article on the "Mass Incedent." Didn't think I'd see that.

The information is there. There's less hiding and no pointing to. There's not much seeking by Nationals.
And no one I know is talking.

It was simply Thursday.

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